Attachment for ice-cream cans.



' E. G. APPLETON.

ATTACHMENT FOR ICE CREAM CANS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30, 1907.

902,363. Patented 001;. 27, 1908.

WITNESSES: [AWE/Wok.

A TTOR/VE VS EUGENE Gr. APPLETON, OF BURLINGTON, IOWA.

ATTACHMENT FOR ICE-CREAM CANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2'7, 1908.

Application filed July 30, 1907. Serial No. 386,251.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE G. APPLETON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Burlington, in the county of Des Moines and State of Iowa,have invented a new and useful Attachment for Ice-Cream Cans, of whichthe following is a specification.

My present invention has for its object to provide a simple andefficient device for centering ice cream cans within the bucket or caseinto which they are packed, and to prevent rising or floating of the canwhen the latter is only partially filled by reason of the watercontained in the lower portion of the bucket or case, the attachmentbeing so constructed and applied to the can that it does not interferein any way with the opening and closing thereof, or the application orremoval of the cream relatively thereto, and while it is capable ofeffectually resisting the rising tendency of the can, it may be quicklyadjusted to release the can and permit its removal from the ice packedbucket or case.

To these and other ends, the invention comprises the various novelfeatures of construction and combination and arrangement of parts, whichwill behereinafter more fully described, and pointed out particularly inthe appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing :Figure 1 shows an ice cream can equippedwith a centering and retaining device constructed in accordance with thepresent invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the attachmentremoved from the can. Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section throughthe band fastener and the adjoining ends of the band, said section beingtaken on the line 00-00, Fig. 2.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated throughout bysimilar characters of reference.

The attachment shown in the present embodiment of the inventioncomprises, generally, a band 1 which is preferably compressible oradapted to be adjusted about the periphery of an ice cream canpreferably at a point' immediately below the usual circumferential beadwhich is usually formed adjacent to the upper end thereof and below thecover. In the present instance, the band is composed of a strip of sheetmetal having portions thereof folded fiatwise of the metal to form asuitable number of radially bending lugs 2, and the latter are eachprovided with spur 3 which is pivoted to swing in a plane radially ofthe axis of the band. These spurs may be made in any suitable way, thoseshown being composed of punches of sheet metal folded on a longitudinalaxis so as to engage on opposite sides of their respective lugs, a pivotpin 4 passing through the folded portions of the spur and through thelug and thereby serving to pivotally connect the spurs to the band.

In order to clamp the band immovably upon the can to enable it toaccommodate itself to cans of different sizes, it is preferable toprovide a suitable fastening for drawing together and securing the freeends thereof, the fastening shown in the present instance comprising aplate 5 secured to one end of the band and having a camshaped lever 6pivotally attached thereto, the lever being adapted to enter either of aset of suitably spaced apertures 7 formed in the opposite end of theband.

In practice, the can is introduced into the bucket or packing case whilethe spurs are tilted upwardly above their respective pivots, such anarrangement of the spurs causing their pointed ends to move inwardlytoward the center of the can and thus enable them to enter the bucket orcase. After the can has been properly placed within the case, the spursare depressed or spread, causing their pointed ends to obtain a firmhold in the wooden walls of the bucket or case. The spurs thus serve tocollect and center the can within the bucket or case, so that the icemay be packed equally around it, and as the downward movement of thespurs is limited to a horizontal position by the corners 2 of the lugs,it will be impossible for the can to rise or float after it has beenpartially emptied, such an occurrence being objectionable for the reasonthat when the can rises the ice falls into the opening thus formed belowthe can and prevents replacing of the latter. Of course, in those caseswhere the attachments are applied to cans in which the cream ismanufactured, the spurs may be turned upwardly so as to clear the wallsof the bucket during the rotation of the can, and, when the process hasbeen completed, the can may be secured by pressing down the spurs.

An attachment of the kind referred to may be made to sell very cheaplyand is capable of being applied very easily to cans of different sizes,and, in practice, it serves to upon the lugs and disposed to cooperatewith the walls of a receptacle to hold the can agamst movement in onedirection.

2. A device for centering cans embodying a band adapted to encircle thecan and having a set of radially extending lugs, and a set of spurs eachhaving its inner end doubled to engage at opposite sides of itscorresponding lug, and a pivot pin for connecting each lug and itscorresponding spur to permit the latter to turn through a limited angle.

3. A device for centerlng cans embodying a band composed of flexiblematerial having a set of alining apertures in one end and a leverpivotally attached to its opposite end and adapted to cooperate with anyone of the said apertures, and a set of spurs on the band to engage thewalls of the ice receptacle.

4. An attachment of the character described embodying -a band composedof a strip of flexible metal having portions thereof folded to formoutwardly extending radial lugs means for clamping the band on the cansand a set of spurs pivoted on the said lugs and adapted to move into andout of engagement with the walls of the ice receptacle.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EUGENE G. APPLETON.

Witnesses:

7. E. BLAKE, G. F. DEMPSEY.

